The Act of Killing - Best Picture
The Act of Killing. Wow. If you haven’t seen this movie then I urge you to watch it. It is an imperative movie; an essential. One that is an extremely difficult but an educational look. Created by Joshua Oppenheimer, it’s a unique look at the people behind the Indonesian killings of 1965-66 where a whopping 500,000 people were murdered. The perpetrators behind it, gangstas who came to power, still rule and play a hand in the political almost militarized state. Following leaders Anwar Congo and Adi Zulkadry in Medan, Oppenheimer treads heavy waters when asking them to re-enact their crimes in whatever way they want, echoing some unfathomable results.
Oppenheimer’s work is vastly ingenious. It does this unique style of turning the cameras and the acts upon the people who have been utterly revolting and disturbing crimes against humanity. Without persecution, these people have let power get to their heads and the way they talk about the past, the way they laugh and joke, makes a compelling watch that is certainly difficult. You may find yourself wanted to pause or leave to take a breather, it is that phenomenal.
And it dares to make them human. It’s a hard to swallow fact that makes The Act of Killing a powerful film.
Quite rightly so, it is sweeping the board for Best Documentary; with only Black Fish being a true contender for that crown (but even then, barely touches the immense brilliance of this film). Oppenheimer’s altogether impeccable piece of filmmaking has also swept the board of critics, with many (including me) naming it the Best Film of 2013. So, if that is the case, where is it’s nomination for Best Picture?
While a lot of award ceremonies have fallen into this trap, let’s look at the big one as it is a few weeks towards it; the Academy Awards. The Best Picture has always been teaming with controversy. And I am not just talking about the ridiculous winners on that infamous list for “what were you thinking?” gets longer by the minute. As of now, non-speaking English movies have only received nine nominations and none of them have actually won the award. Animation again has been nominated three or four times resulting in no winners and Best Picture Awards going to someone who isn’t American is a rarity. So the contentions around this much sought after award are already high; missing this vital movie just adds to that despair.
Many will argue that there are separate categories for these movies and it wholly deserves its Best Documentary awards when it inevitably wins them all. And that’s fine. In all fairness, it technically has no script or acting so falls off the Best Picture check list on those points.
But when did these categories become confinements for film? A movie of acclaim such as The Act of Killing should be recognised for its stellar work outside the realms of the documentary category. Certainly, Oppenheimer’s work here is of the highest level that could easily knock American Hustledown a peg or too. This is a movie of the highest calibre; a film that is evocative, thought provoking and educational of the psyche of a killer. The Act of Killing should be treated as one of the best movies of the past year.
But what do you think? Should The Act of Killing have been nominated for the Best Picture award?